


The Music Curse

by bluelove22



Series: Solangelo Stories [10]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Camp Half-Blood, Fights, Getting Together, Humor, Music, Songfic, curse, solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 17:44:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13529373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluelove22/pseuds/bluelove22
Summary: When Nico and Will get into an argument, Apollo (the new director at Camp Half-blood) decides to get Nico to open up by cursing him so he can only talk in song using song lyrics. Takes place after BoO. Solangelo. *cross-posted from fanfiction.net*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own PJO/HoO, Rick Riordan does. I also own none of the songs used in this story.

Nico di Angelo didn't quite know how he felt right now. So many emotions were trying to push themselves to the surface, a feat which was phenomenal considering he rarely let his feelings show. If he had to choose the two strongest emotions threatening to overcome him were anger and despair. He was incredibly angry at Will, Apollo, the Fates, and just about everyone except for Hazel. His despair, however, was for how he was going to survive with the curse that had just been placed on him by Apollo of all deities. Why could Persephone just turn him into a dandelion again? Actually, at this point he wouldn't mind it if Eros struck him with a hate arrow. Zeus could incinerate him for all he cared.

As one could tell, the sole son of Hades was not having a good day.

"Dad!" Will Solace yelled at the latest camp director, also known as the god of the sun among other things. "Why did you do that?"

Apollo simply shrugged. "He was upsetting you, Will. Also, I think it will be fun to see how this plays out. Your camp got boring awfully fast and now I have some entertainment. Nico, would you care to voice your frustrations about your predicament?"

Said dark-haired demigod glared daggers, swords, arrows, and about twenty other forms of weapons at the god without uttering a word. If he opened his mouth he would regret it.

"Fine," the deity said with a smile. "However, tonight at the campfire you will be singing a song. The Poseidon Cabin went last time, Zeus before that, and now it is your turn. If you don't pick a song willingly I will tell you what song to sing, and I'll have you know I've been watching Frozen a lot lately. It would be wise to choose yourself lest the other campers want to hear Hades' son singing 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?'. Anyway, good luck with opening up and all that! Bye, Will!"

And then he was gone, leaving Will and Nico standing outside the Hades Cabin with nearby campers staring at them curiously.

A moment passed before either demigod did anything, Will Solace simply looked at Nico with apologetic blue eyes.

"Nico," he started hurriedly, "I am so sorry about this. There was no way I could have known he—"

" _It's too late to apologize, it's too late."_

Brown eyes widened as he sang a version of what he had meant to snarl. Terror flooded him as Will's face morphed into one of surprise, but he credited the son of Apollo for not laughing.

"Um, unless you're okay with singing what you more or less want to say I suggest as your friend to keep the talking to a minimum. Please, just take a minute to hear me out. I wasn't trying to baby you, alright? I wasn't fretting over you just because I'm a healer. You're my friend, Nico, and I care about you."

Gingerly, the younger teenager nodded. Of course he knew Will cared. He had basically attached himself to the son of Hades ever since his three days in the infirmary a week ago. They were practically inseparable, which Nico usually appreciated except when he was having… problems. Problems which included nightmares telling him he was worthless, making fun of him for developing a major crush on his newest friend, and moreover leaving him in a bad mood that made him lash out at everyone around him. Since Will was almost always around him, this meant he had to deal with the irritable demigod. How he put up with him Nico had no idea.

After a few seconds of silence, Nico pointed to himself and then back to Will, gesturing between them and giving him a meaningful look.

Will brightened at his actions, causing the younger's heart to skip a beat.

_Gods, he's adorable. All he has to do is smile and I'm reduced to a blushing mess,_ Nico thought to himself.

With a sigh, he pointed to the door before walking into his cabin. Until he was dragged to dinner by Will, Jason, or Percy he was going to lie low for a while. Anything to avoid the embarrassment he knew would come soon.

* * *

"Why so quiet, Neeks? I mean, you're usually like this, but I've been hearing rumors about you getting cursed by a certain god of poetry. Do you have to speak in rhymes if you talk?"

Those at the Hades table, which was basically the Seven and his table after the war, watched him carefully as he sighed. No, he was not going to give them the entertainment of him making a fool out of himself. If he spoke now, then everyone around him would know the real problem. Sure being cursed to rhyme was bad, but singing had to be way worse. Nico di Angelo, the Ghost King, Prince of the Underworld, and son of Hades singing? No way in Tartarus.

As if hearing his thoughts, Jason frowned at Leo. Yes, the son of Hephaestus had returned from the dead. He actually made quite the entrance, riding in on Festus with Calypso sitting behind him. Even when Piper punched him in the face for dying, he still was able to crack a variety of jokes amidst the crying and cheering.

"Dude, be nice to Nico. He doesn't have to talk if he doesn't want to."

Annabeth and Piper nodded from either side of Jason, but Percy looked a bit disappointed.

"Well he can at least write us a note on what happened, right?" The son of Poseidon questioned. Annabeth rose an eyebrow at her boyfriend, telling him to elaborate on exactly why he wanted to know. "What? I'm genuinely curious. Apollo is a chill dude and for him to just curse my bro like that he must have a good reason."

"Maybe he got in a fight with his new friend," Leo offered. "Will Solace, was it? The guy who gave me a tour of camp when I first got here and gave me an ice pack for the black eye Pipes generously bestowed upon me?"

Percy grinned. "That's the guy! Well, Nico, if you did something to him then I'm going to have to side with Apollo. I owe Will for saving Annabeth during the Second Titan War. No hard feelings?"

Nico rolled his eyes, about to nod when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned his head around to see the topic of their conversation.

"Hey, Death Boy. I just wanted to give you this." Will smiled easily as he handed his friend a cup of hot tea brewed specifically to keep the poison from his werewolf scratches at bay. Since the wounds were so tricky they were taking treatment slow to make sure they healed efficiently. This meant constant cleanings, wrappings, and other small things to make sure it eventually disappeared without scarring. Will took his job seriously after all.

A small smile slipped onto Nico's face as he nodded in appreciation.

"Oh, and make sure you eat plenty," the blonde said. "You keep skipping meals and that's never good. It's especially bad for you since you're already underweight. Seriously, di Angelo, it must have taken weeks without food to get you the way you are. I know you can summon skeletons, but I don't want you to become one, alright?"

Everyone at the table froze, Jason having desperately tried to stop Will from talking with his gestures but failing epically. Nico just sat there, a grimace forming within seconds as he tried not to get too angry. Will had no idea he had been pulled into Tartarus and stuck in a jar for days. He didn't know that was why he could barely keep food down unless he ate a little bit at a time. It wasn't his fault he didn't know, and yet…

Nico stood up fast, fists curled at his sides as he screamed at Will silently. The son of Apollo merely blinked, glancing at the five of the Seven and Calypso for help.

"We can't, uh, say anything about what happened," Jason explained (or didn't) quickly. "But during the quest to defeat Gaea he was in a situation and went without food for a while. It's a touchy subject, and he's trying, so just drop it."

Immediately Will went from looking confused to guilty.

"Oh gods, Nico, I didn't mean to— I hate upsetting— please don't be angry—"

" _Shut up, shut up, shut up, don't want to hear it! Get out, get out, get out; get out of my way!"_ He burst out, those in the dining pavilion going quiet. For a moment he was mortified by the fact that now people knew that his curse was, but he was so overwhelmed with Will right now he cast his mortification to the side.

" _Out of his mind,"_  he started,  _"away, pushes him whispering, must have been out of his mind. Mid-day delusions of pushing this out of his head, maybe out of his mind. All alone he turns to stone while holding his breath half to death. Terrified of what's inside, to save his life he crawls like a worm from a bird. Crawls like a worm from a bird,"_ he sang, eyes scathing the blue-eyed beauty before him.

"Nico," Will tried, "I don't understand. C'mon, let's talk about it in the infirmary or your cabin. The other campers watching and I know you don't feel comfortable around so many—"

" _Oh you think that you know me, know me? That's why I'm leaving you lonely, lonely. 'Cause baby you don't know a thing about me, you don't know a thing about me. You ain't got the right to tell me when and where to go, no right to tell me. Acting like you own me lately, yeah baby you don't know a thing about me. You don't know a thing about me."_

With that he shadow traveled back to his cabin despite the fact it left him horribly drained. It was a good thing he ended up only a step away from his bed, because he only stayed awake for a moment before passing out on top of the covers.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Apologize by Timbaland ft. One Republic  
> Shut Up! by Simple Plan  
> The Bird and the Worm by The Used  
> Mr. Know It All by Kelly Clarkson


	2. Chapter 2

After the spectacle at dinner, the last thing Nico wanted to do was leave his cabin and go to the campfire that was bound to start soon. Going to the campfire meant singing and making a fool of himself. Percy and Jason didn't seem to mind singing when asked to by Apollo, who randomly (or not so randomly) chose demigods to do so for "character building" as he called it. Nico was pretty sure he did it for entertainment. Ever since the god had started working at camp as his punishment all he had been doing was embarrassing campers. Perhaps it was his personality, but that was no excuse.

Nico sighed, rolling out of the new bed he had instructed Jules-Albert to buy him. He had to show up whether he wanted to or not. If he didn't go willingly Apollo would drag him there and make him sing something he'd regret.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, causing the son of Hades to quickly slip a black hoodie left for him by Hazel (it was actually one of hers, but that was beside the point) and open the door before the person knocking could barge in. Usually only Percy would be stupid enough to do that, but there was still a chance. When he found it was none other than a smiling Will Solace, however, his heart fluttered.

_How can he be so happy after I screamed at him and shadow traveled away from him earlier? Why doesn't he just hate me like everyone else?_

_Not everyone hates you,_ another part of him whispered. Of course he ignored it.

"Hey," Will said when he realized Nico probably wouldn't be speaking. "So, uh, you're coming to the campfire, right? I mean, you obviously are since my dad will kidnap you if you don't go on your own, which I am really sorry about by the way, but anyway I just wanted to ask you something before we left. And by 'we' I mean we can walk together as long as you're okay with it," he rambled on.

" _Hey, slow it down,"_ Nico said after listening him change the topic to why walking ten-thousand steps daily was beneficial for the body. _"Whataya want from me?"_

He winced as it came out in song, but since it was only Will hearing him he supposed it was okay.

"I wanted to know if you'll sit by me during the campfire," Will asked in a rush. Nico's eyes widened at the fact his friend's tan cheeks were tinged with pink. Was he blushing? "You always sit in between Jason and Percy whenever they manage to drag you there. I'd really like to sit by you for a change."

Against his wishes, for his stomach was filled to the brim with fluttering skeletal butterflies, he nodded.

"Great! Come on," he grabbed Nico's wrist and ignored the way he stiffened from the contact (it was a force of habit unfortunately). "We don't want to be late! Travis and Connor will steal all the chocolate for the s'mores as soon as they get the chance."

He rolled his eyes. Nevertheless, Nico allowed himself to be led to the amphitheater. He was even proud to say he ignored those watching them as they made their way there. Sure, he had glared once when he saw Jason give him a thumbs up upon arriving, but it was still an improvement.

To his surprise, sitting next to Will was actually very… nice. The blonde smiled and talked about the songs he had sung since coming to camp a couple years ago while grabbing (and setting on fire) five marshmallows until Nico had one that he dubbed perfect to make a s'more with. It was a sweet gesture literally and figuratively, and the son of Hades appreciated it. Despite the fact his stomach did not want to partake in eating something so sugary, as it had been sensitive to what was going in it for weeks, he savored the two small bites he managed to get down. He also savored the way Will turned red when Nico told him he could finish it.

"Th-thanks, Death Boy." Will stuttered before hurriedly diverting his eyes as he ate the rest in one bite. Nico couldn't help but chuckle at the way he decided not to decline his offer due to germs, which was something he'd always done when even his siblings offered to share food with him until now.

Smiling contentedly at each other like oblivious love-struck fools did, the two jumped when Apollo appeared in front of them in all his surfer shorts and sandal glory. Before either of them could say anything he dropped a golden microphone into the younger's pale hands and wished him good luck.

Nico gulped as he stared at the object fearfully. He had no idea what to sing, not to mention he absolutely hated being the center of attention. Underneath other's watchful eyes was where he felt the most unsafe, exposed and susceptible to the cruelty of others. Maybe if he shadow traveled into the Underworld Apollo wouldn't follow him?

"You'll do fine," Will said, effectively pulling him away from his thoughts. "Remember when he made Clarisse sing the first day on the job? She didn't want to do it either, but in the end she sounded great and no one made fun of her. If she can do it then so can you."

 _That's because she could dismember anyone who dared to say anything bad about her,_ Nico thought sourly.  _No one will think twice about mocking me. It's not like they already don't when my back is turned or hiding in the shadows._

However, all the while thinking of a song he could sing, he slowly made his way to where Will's siblings were set up with about every common (and a dozen uncommon) instrument he knew. After thinking about it for a few minutes he finally whispered a few verses of the song he would be singing to Kayla. The girl smiled kindly, nodding and instructing her siblings on what to do. She was even nice enough to offer to sing along with him, as the song he picked meant a lot to her after the deaths of Lee Fletcher and Michael Yew.

"It's a beautiful song, Nico. I know you can pull this off. I'll help you, okay? Don't worry about a thing."

Nodding in thanks, he slowly turned to face the crowd.

 _Son of Bacchus,_ he cursed in his head.  _They are all staring at me. How am I supposed to sing when they are all—_

He met Will's eyes, his thoughts clearing slightly as the boy looked at him with complete confidence.

 _Just pretend you're singing for him_ , part of him prodded.  _If that doesn't help, remember that this song is for Bianca. Make it good for her. You only have to get through this song and you'll be fine._

Taking a deep breath, Nico turned to Kayla and bobbed his head. A moment later, the children of Apollo began playing.

" _Hello? Hello? Anybody out there? 'Cause I don't hear a sound. Alone, alone, I don't really know where the world is but I miss it now,"_  he sang. His voice was soft, a tone that sent looks of shock reeling on many of the faces watching. They were obviously surprised to hear such gentle, heartfelt emotion coming from the son of Hades.

" _I'm out on the edge"_ his voice increased in volume slightly, Kayla's voice rising to keep their voices blended well together, _"and I'm screaming my name like a fool at the top of my lungs._

_Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright, but it's never enough. 'Cause my echo, echo, is the only voice coming back. Shadow, shadow, is the only friend that I have…"_

Before the next verse came, Nico allowed himself a tiny smile. The shadows had truly been his friend. At first they had terrified him, a young ten year-old bumbling amidst them lost and alone. He had never expected them to welcome him, comfort him like they had. Other than his mother and Bianca no one had ever been to kind to him. Until he found Hazel, the first person before Jason, Reyna, and Will to come along, that is. It was only after abusing the shadows through overuse that they had lashed out at him. He didn't think they had particularly meant it either. Call it a hunch, but the whole fading ordeal seemed more than just the shadows trying to make him one of their own. He controlled them; it was simple as that.

" _Listen, listen,"_ he continued while raising his eyes from the ground. He glanced at Will, who seemed caught between smiling and being sad. _"I would take a whisper if that's all you had to give. But it isn't, is it? You could come and save me and try to chase the crazy right out of my head."_

He closed his eyes and tilted his head upward.  _"I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name like a fool at the top of my lungs. Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright, but it's never enough._   _'Cause my echo, echo, is the only voice coming back. Shadow, shadow, is the only friend that I have…"_  Simultaneously Nico and Kayla's voices grew stronger, more confident at Austin and many other children of Apollo let their musical skills fly passionately.

" _I don't wanna be an island! I just wanna feel alive and get to see your face again."_ His heart clenched painfully as memories of his mother and sister came to mind. Why was he doing this to himself? Perhaps Frozen would have been better. _"I don't wanna be an island! I just wanna feel alive and get to see your face again. But 'til then…"_ They paused, everything becoming softer. _"Just my echo, my shadow. You're my only friend and— I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name like a fool at the top of my lungs. Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright, but it's never enough. 'Cause my echo, echo… Oh my shadow, shadow."_

He opened his eyes, facing the crowd as his feelings quelled and the shadows shifted around his feet sluggishly.

" _Hello, hello, anybody out there?"_

With the campers so quiet even Clovis would wake at the drop of a penny, the son of Hades set the microphone down before slipping into the shadows. He had no idea they were quiet out of shock and respect, not because they thought he'd done bad, but Nico tended to be pessimistic. Perhaps if he hadn't been as such and left before Apollo could burst into applause he would have seen the look of absolute awe on Will Solace's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Whataya Want From Me? by Adam Lambert  
> Echo by Jason Walker


	3. Chapter 3

"Nico," Will called as he knocked on the door of his cabin around eight o'clock the next morning. "Open up! You can't be missing breakfast when you barely ate anything for dinner last night. You're going to waste away if you keep this up."

Try as he might, the son of Hades couldn't ignore his caring-to-a-fault friend. With a groan loud enough he knew Will could hear it from outside the cabin, Nico got out of bed and shuffled to the door wearing the same clothes he had been wearing yesterday. When he shadow traveled back to his cabin fatigue had overcome him and he had dismissed the idea of changing in favor of going straight to bed.

" _What would it take for things to be quiet?_ " He sang angrily after opening the door to step outside and get in Will's face.

Usually by now Jason and Percy would be shuffling awkwardly, not able to meet his eyes since they were filled with murder whenever he was woken up. However, Will seemed completely unfazed.

 _This kid is something,_ Nico thought.  _I just can't tell if he's brave, stubborn, or just plain stupid. Maybe he's a combination of the three._

"I'm sorry for waking you up if I did, but I'm very worried about you. You don't seem to understand the importance of when I stress that you need to eat if you want to get better. I know you hate it when I go all doctor on you, but listen to me as a friend. The clothes you wear are practically swimming on you, your ribs stick out so much it scares me, and although I still don't know what got you like this if we want to reverse the damage you're going to have to trust me. You trusted me for those three days in the infirmary when tending to your werewolf scratches," he stated sadly, emotion dripping from his voice, "so why won't you trust me now?"

He wanted to answer, but he wasn't sure what song would pop out that could possibly explain his reasoning for having issues when it came to trusting people. Looking around skeptically, making sure there was no one around (for most were at breakfast), he decided to take the god's advice and open up.

" _Do you ever feel like breaking down? Do you ever feel out of place, like somehow you just don't belong, and no one understands you?"_  Will frowned, nodding to show he understood what he was feeling. Nico wanted to believe he was being truthful but his own stubbornness made him dismiss his actions.  _"Do you ever wanna run away? Do you lock yourself in your room with the radio on turned up so loud that no one hears you're screaming?"_

" _No,"_ he sang confidently, _"you don't know what it's like when nothing feels all right. You don't know what it's like to be like me."_ This he was sure of. _"To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark,"_ memories of Tartarus darken his thoughts, making his eyes become haunted, _"to be kicked when you're down, to feel like you've been pushed around; to be on the edge of breaking down and no one's there to save you."_ His voice hitched when he remembered being surrounded by monsters, swallowed by Gaea after Tartarus had a go at driving him off the edge of sanity. He recalled being thrown into a jar, crying, shaking, and bleeding after just barely surviving Greek Hell before slowly suffocating half-way to death in the giant's bronze jar. He had been so certain he was going to die with no one coming to rescue him.  _"No, you don't know what it's like. Welcome to my life."_

"Nico," was all Will said, his voice quiet and tone gentle as he took a step forward. He went to put a hand on his shoulder, but seemed to remember Nico's no touching policy unless you were Hazel or Reyna.

" _Do you wanna be somebody else?"_ He continued shakily. _"Are you sick of feeling so left out? Are you desperate to find something more before your life is over? Are you stuck inside a world you hate? Are you sick of everyone around? With their big fake smiles and stupid lies, while deep inside you're bleeding?"_

"Nico, stop!" Will pleaded, finally not caring about the rule and wrapping his arms around the unstable demigod. Nico tensed in response, the words he was about to say dying in his throat. Will was so warm in comparison to how cold he usually was.

 _It must be a son of Apollo thing,_ he rationalized.  _I do have to admit that it feels kind of good._

"Please don't think that way," Will said after a moment, drawing the younger out of his thoughts. His voice was gentle and Nico found himself relaxing into the embrace. "You're perfect just being yourself. There are plenty of people who care about you for who you are, and their feelings are not faked one bit."

" _No one ever lied straight to your face,"_ he argued, _"and no one ever stabbed you in the back."_

"That's true, but that doesn't mean your friends don't love you. They do, Nico, and I want to help you believe that. I care about you too, you know. In only less than two weeks you've made me your friend. Despite arguing all the time I like you a lot. Don't think wallowing in that brooding cloud of yours and fighting me is going to push me away, because I'm here to stay."

Nico could only stare at Will's shoulder. His words touched him, sending the anxiety that had risen up during his song-speech away.

" _You might think I'm happy, but I'm not going to be okay,"_  he whispered hopelessly.

Shaking his head and squeezing the dark-haired demigod tighter, Will made it clear he would be okay as long as he was alive to do something about it. The admission brought tears to Nico's eyes but he blinked them away. He didn't deserve this kindness.

And yet…

"Oh, but I have some bad news."

This made Nico push the blonde away and raise an eyebrow inquisitively.

"My dad was sort of really impressed last night at the campfire, so from now on you have to sing at least one song every time we have one. Also, he decided to make campfires a nightly thing because he loves the music and feeling of friendship brought by them."

There was a moment of silence, and then it was filled with song.

" _There's a dead man walking!"_

. . . . .

By the time the campfire rolled around, Nico was in a bad mood. After being told he was going to have to sing again that morning people tiptoed around him as if he were a snapping hellhound. Of course Leo still cracked jokes which led to skeletons throwing him none too graciously in the lake, therefor making Will yell at him for using his powers and almost passing out. He was starting to get really annoyed with the son of Apollo; why couldn't he just leave him alone?

 _You don't really want him to leave you alone,_ part of him whispered.  _He's only annoying because you can't bring yourself to care about you, and he's doing it for you. Don't hate him for caring for his friend._

Well, he couldn't really argue with himself. He was already messed up enough; he didn't need to add talking to himself to the list.

"What are you going to sing?" Kayla asked kindly as he walked to her and her siblings. He mumbled some of the lyrics, making her eyes widen at his choice before nodding and motioning Austin to come over.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to sing the accenting parts and back up for Nico," Kayla instructed. "My voice is too high in pitch for this song, so you'll compliment him better." She whispered what song he would be singing, making the son of Apollo nod before giving Nico a thumbs up.

A few minutes later, after everyone was set up, the instrumental began. Some of those in the crowd (including Will) recognized it immediately, but Nico didn't care. Apollo wanted him to open up and he was going to get it.

" _Ever since I could remember, everything inside of me just wanted to fit in."_

" _O-oh, o-oh, o-oh,"_  Austin broke in.

" _I was never one for pretenders. Everything I tried to be just wouldn't settle in."_  He was a son of Hades after all. None before him had ever fit in, why would he be an exception? Even after helping win the Second Titan War the campers had been still wary of him. It wasn't his fault they couldn't accept him. He'd tried, hadn't he?

" _O-oh, o-oh, o-oh."_

" _If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me?"_ They knew who his dad was, but they had no idea of what he'd done to Bryce and how he'd allowed Octavian to die. _"And if I seem dangerous,"_ he held back a scoff. He was absolutely lethal. _"Would you be scared?"_ Yes, of course you are. _"I get the feeling just because everything I touch isn't dark enough that this problem lies in me."_

Nico and Austin's rose in sync, the shadows around and in the amphitheater growing darker as the son of Hades sang with emotion.  _"I'm only a man with a candle to guide me. I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me. A monster, a monster, I've turned into a monster. A monster, a monster, and it keeps getting stronger."_

" _Can I clear my conscience,"_ he refused to meet Will's eyes after the chorus. No doubt Will would give him a speech about him being far from a monster; if only he knew the truth.  _"If I'm different from the rest? Do I have to run and hide?"_  He sure did that enough.

" _O-oh, o-oh, o-oh."_

" _I never said that I want this."_ Being a demigod, a son of Hades, being homosexual, the list goes on.  _"This burden came to me,"_ his free hand found the material over his heart and clenched painfully, _"and it's made its home inside."_

" _O-oh, o-oh, o-oh."_

" _If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous, would you be scared? I get the feeling just because everything I touch isn't dark enough,"_ shadows began to curl around his feet, but with his eyes closed only those watching knew, _"that this problem lies in me."_

" _I'm only a man with a candle to guide me. I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me. A monster, a monster, I've turned into a monster. A monster, a monster, and it keeps getting stronger."_

By this point there were shadows churning around him. It was as if black wisps of smoke were bleeding up from the ground and being pulled from the surroundings to form a miniature whirlwind that went up to the demigod's legs. From the crowd Will surged forward, acting to go to Nico before he became faint from using his powers when he wasn't fully healed, but Apollo stopped him.

"He needs to let his feelings out," the god lectured, eyes holding sorrow despite the smile on his face. "If he doesn't he'll become like all other children of Hades that went crazy because they kept everything bottled inside. You might think I cursed him because I am cruel or seeking amusement, but that is not true. I remember when I first met the boy and I want to see him happy again. I know the same is wanted by you too, son. Let me be the one he hates."

Will was silent. It was all he could do to not gape at his father, whose intentions were actually the same as his despite the way his actions were making Nico hate him. However, before he could say anything Nico and Austin went into the last few verses of the song.

" _I'm only a man with a candle to guide me. I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me. A monster, a monster, I've turned into a monster."_ Around him the vortex thickened, campers sitting on the front few steps inching away in fear. The only ones who didn't seemed bother were the five of the Seven, Will, and Calypso, along with maybe Lou Ellen, Cecil, Clarisse, and surprisingly Drew, who seemed to be more concerned about Nico than the raging darkness. _"A monster, a monster, and it keeps getting stronger."_

He opened his eyes after the last word, dropping the microphone when he noticed the shadows spinning wildly around him. If he couldn't even show control over his own element in front of the campers of course they would fear him!

Trying to hide his shame, he motioned with his now clammy hands for them to disappear. They did so obediently, melting into the ground or back where they belonged, but after all of the summoning earlier his body couldn't take the overuse of "Underworld-y powers" as Will liked to call them. He promptly passed out, eyes rolling into the back of his head and body pitching forward the same moment Will made it to the center stage to catch him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Louder Than Thunder by The Devil Wears Prada  
> Welcome To My Life by Simple Plan  
> Dead Man Walking by Nomy  
> Monster by Imagine Dragons


	4. Chapter 4

When he woke up groaning, he was pleasantly surprised by the face of Will Solace being no more than two inches away from his own. It was only when their eyes met that the healer realized how close they were and sat back up with a blush on his face. Nico held back a smile.

 _Maybe he does like me_ , he thought.

"I'm glad you're awake," Will said after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. "You really scared your friends and me when you passed out. Apollo checked you over before I brought you here last night, saying you needed plenty of rest and someone to stay with you to make sure you didn't fade, and Drew used her charmspeak to calm everyone down after the little show with your shadows. Clarisse also yelled at the kids in the first few rows who had moved during your performance and called them pansies."

Nico tilted his head in confusion.  _Drew and Clarisse covered for me? Why?_

The elder demigod guessed what he was thinking by the look he was receiving. "Well first off Clarisse is my friend, Nico. She also knows I care a lot about you. When I was rushing to get you here and some kids were saying snide remarks Clarisse was, uh, kind enough to shut them up and divert the attention away from you. You should have seen it," he grinned. "She kept ranting about how being scared of the dark and some silly shadows was ridiculous and that they should be more scared of how she treats fraidy-cats. Of course she said this with more flair and sarcasm, but you get the point."

Nodding, Nico motioned for him to continue.

"As for Drew, she's really not that bad. Sure she has some problems, being abusive with her powers every now and then as well as having a habit of breaking hearts, but once you get to know her you learn she isn't who she appears to be. She's actually a considerate softie to those she calls her friends, and if you're alone with her there's a higher chance she'll let her true colors show. Don't be too hard on her. I think she helped because we're on pretty good terms."

 _Pretty good terms?_ He didn't like how that sounded. Sure he had a crush on Will, but what if he ended up being straight like Percy? Hecate, he probably was straight.  _The only reason he cares is because he's a healer and fixing people comes naturally to him. No one like him would ever think twice about me in a romantic way._

"Death Boy?"

Will's voice brought him out of his depressing thoughts, but it was obvious a frown had managed to make its way on his face.

"Why do you suddenly look so down?"

Nico shrugged, not feeling up to trying to talk and end up singing some sad song about love. He did not need that sort of situation happening right now.

After saying nothing for a few minutes, brown eyes trained on the skull ring he was fidgeting with, Will quietly reached over and lifted the sleeve of Nico's shirt. The son of Hades didn't comment, but stilled as Will looked at the last remnants of the injury caused by Lycaon. The claw marks were no longer scabbed over, light pink skin being all that was left of the horrendous tears that had been infected by the time he'd gotten them properly checked, and it seemed they were no longer a problem. Sure they would scar, but he already had plenty. It was no big deal to him.

"Looks like you're out of the danger zone when it comes to physical injuries," Will smiled. "However, the aftereffects of using your powers is still an issue. I think it's because there is still a hefty amount of darkness in your system. You know what that means, right?"

The younger shook his head.

"That means you need to spend some time in the sun!" Will stated brightly.

Nico shook his head once more.

"Doctor's orders."

A third headshake.

"Fine," Will said as he stood up and stretched. For a second Nico was surprised he had given up so easily. Then, faster than he could have anticipated, the son of Apollo grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of pomegranates.

" _Let me go!"_ Nico sang, his anger only captured by his face and the way he pounded on Will's back with his fists. Of course Will didn't listen. He just ignored the boy tossed over his shoulder as he walked leisurely out of the infirmary.  _"Just let me go!"_

Will shook his head, chuckling as he continued carrying a struggling son of Hades. He began walking towards the dining pavilion. "Lou!" He yelled as they passed by. The daughter of Hecate, along with everyone else there, looked at the healer and seething demigod questionably. "Can you grab some healthy food for my patient and bring it to the strawberry fields when you're done? He needs some time in the sunshine!"

Nico blushed furiously as Will set off again, Lou Ellen giggling and waving as they left. It was with a glare that he noticed Leo, Cecil, and Percy bursting out in laughter at his predicament. They called out for him to have a fun time with his doctor and try not to brood too much.

And then, just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, Will began singing.

" _I run and run a thousand miles and I am barely breathing,"_  he sang out of tune. To Nico, however, it still sounded nice simply because Will's voice sounded nice.  _"Only the fuel of a passion heart keeps this body strong and moving forward. Could it be I found a place to rest? How far until I'm okay? Trees of the town reveal the time has come, once again to shift are shade and colors."_

Suddenly Will placed him on the ground, eyes bright as he continued to sing anyway.  _"The world always changes around us but weakness will always remain. Through all the pain, believe in who we are right here and now. Raise one hand to the sky,"_  and he did so, looking like a complete dork. It was a good thing they were in the strawberry fields where no one was currently there to see them.  _"Raise them both! Lift them high! And you'll cut through the darkness,"_ he winked,  _"make it go! The time to start is now, and I can show you how."_

A tan hand grabbed Nico's own contrasting pale one, a silly smile on his face.

" _Start with me and the world will be even bigger than ever before,"_  he finished, eyes staring into Nico's meaningfully. It was all Nico could do not to faint. Children of Hades do not faint. Pass out in a manly or dramatic way, sure, but not faint.

"You liked that, didn't you?" The son of Apollo asked with a cocky smile. "Maybe I'll sing to you more often. Make it fair and all that."

Nico simply stuck his tongue out at him before sprawling out on the grass. He noticed it did not wither away like it had the first few times before, which was an improvement. A second later, he was joined by his friend who sighed in content as the sun beat down on him.

"It's probably because of my dad, but I've always loved relaxing and drinking in the sunlight."

Turning his head so it was facing the by next to him, Nico motioned for Will to continue. Sitting here enjoying the day was nice. Couple that with listening to Will talk to him, it was by far one of his best days yet even after the kbeing carried against his will fiasco.

"When I was little my mother and I would stay outside for hours just sitting on the porch enjoying the nice weather. Sometimes we would work in the garden, play on the swing set we had, or read children books to each other. Even after finding out I was a demigod at age nine, thinking it was a cliché of being a child of the sun god, I kept enjoying it. There were a few months I hated it," he admitted with a hint of sadness. "My mother had died bringing me here for my second summer. I blamed my father, whom I'd never met until a little over a week ago, because he didn't protect her. Then I blamed myself, but after a while I realized blaming someone other than the monster that killed her was stupid. Once I got over it I went bed to basking in the sunlight just like I used to do with her."

To say the least, Nico was surprised. He'd thought the bright son of Apollo had a kind, happy mother he saw when he went home for the school year. It seemed he'd been wrong. There was more to Will than healing people and his sunny smiles that he showed off to those around him, and here Nico had been trusted enough to know this.

Taking a leap of faith, Nico decided that maybe, just maybe, he could trust Will too.

" _To my friends in New York, I say hello."_  He started softly, his voice carried by the breeze caressing the fields before them.  _"My friends in L.A. they don't know where I've been for the past few years or so. Paris to China to Colorado,"_ this was very true, _"sometimes there's airplanes I can't jump out. Sometimes there's bull that don't work now. We all got our stories but please tell me what there is to complain about."_

He allowed a small smile to slip onto his face as he stared at the clouds crawling sluggishly across the sky. From beside him, Will was wearing a similar smile.

" _When you're happy like a fool,"_  Will took up the lyrics, making Nico's smile morph into a grin,  _"let it take you over. When everything is out you gotta take it in."_

Nico joined him for the next verse, but it was with a quiet voice filled with self-consciousness.  _"Oh, this has gotta be the good life. This has gotta be the good life. This could really be a good life, good life. Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight, like this city is on fire tonight. This could really be a good life. A good, good life."_

" _Hopelessly,"_  Nico resumed timidly. He had to look away from Will, whose face was only a few inches and whose eyes were staring into his.  _"I feel like there might be something that I'll miss. Hopelessly, I feel like the window closes oh so quick. Hopelessly, I'm taking a mental picture of you now."_ He tried not to let the lyrics make him blush. _"'Cause hopelessly, the hope is we have so much to feel good about."_

"You sing really well," Will complimented when Nico didn't continue the rest of the song. "I know you'll deny it or say you hate this because it's forced, but it's true. You've got quite the angelic voice, di Angelo. Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to sing around me."

One eye-roll and a couple minutes of listening to the sounds of the breeze later, Nico responded.

" _Could this be out of line,"_  he asked in song,  _"to say you're the only one breaking me down like this? You're the only one I would take a shot on, keep me hanging on so contagiously."_

Since he had been looking away when he sang that, he flinched at the sudden contact he received in the form of Will grabbing his hand and squeezing it reassuringly. Gods he was still so jumpy after... well, everything he'd been through. After a moment though he was able to lock eyes with the blonde looking at him intently.

"You're not out of line, Death Boy. I'm honored to be the one you can talk freely to. You're not just my patient, you know. You really are my friend. I care about you very, very much."

The skeletal butterflies in his stomach suddenly turned into hummingbirds, flying around inside of him at great speeds.

"Which means," he started with a small smile, "I will not push you to talk to me while you have that curse on you, but sometime please tell me what you meant last night when you called yourself a monster? Because if you remember correctly your surname is  _di Angelo_ , not  _di Monstro_."

When Lou Ellen came with food a few minutes later, raised an eyebrow at her friend and the son of Hades, who were currently covered in grass while wrestling one another.

She sighed while debating whether or not to break them up. " _Boys_."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Let Me Go by 3 Doors Down  
> Shissou by Vic Mignogna  
> Good Life by One Republic  
> So Contagious by Acceptance


	5. Chapter 5

That night, just when Apollo ran out of volunteers wishing to sing and was about to tell Nico he was up, Will raised his hand.

It wasn't that it was uncommon for him to sing. He was the head of the Apollo Cabin after all, but usually Kayla or Austin were in charge of camp songs. They were pretty good singers in comparison to Will, who was mediocre at best. This was why Nico didn't expect Will to smile at him before standing up, grabbing the microphone, and taking the lead in a song, only to blow the crowd away.

"I wanna see you run," he began once his siblings got through the first few seconds of intro music. Beside him Austin and Kayla also had microphones to sing with, but Austin's was on a stand because he was also playing guitar. "Anywhere you want. Never let the darkness hold you back, no fear of getting lost."

Huh, Nico thought as he listened to the words. It reminded him of his recent shadow traveling incidents. Of course it wasn't really the darkness trying to make him fade, or lose himself if he compared it to the song, but ghosts wishing him to join them.

"I wanna see you fly way beyond the sun. Anything you're ever gonna dream," his smile grew just a bit wider as he continued, "I pray that it will come."

Then Will's eyes, which had been moving over the crowd, rested on Nico.

"But if you ever fall down straight to the bottom, and you can't get back where you started, any place, any time, you gotta know for you I'll fight."

It was ironic to say the least, considering Will couldn't fight. However, the son of Hades could only watch his crush with some sort of captivation as he danced around the stage with his sister as she and her two brothers sang the accents together.

"Ooh o-oh," they harmonized, "ooh o-oh."

A moment later, Will resumed while sneaking glances at Nico (who blushed in the firelight from the attention).

"Where you wanna go? I'd love to take you there. Wish that I could make the road easy, I wish that life was fair. Don't wanna see you cry even when it rains. And I hope you don't forget this; you were born for better things."

A thought suddenly occurred to the son of Hades. When he sang he sang with someone in mind; the first time it had been Bianca, the second time himself. At first Nico thought Will's song choice had been for the demigods in general, but as he went on it appeared that maybe Will's glances in his direction were supposed to signify something.

"But if you ever fall down straight to the bottom," Nico winced as he pictured himself falling down into Tartarus. He shook the image away quickly. "And you can't get back where you started, with no strength to stand, I'm gonna reach for your hand." Was it just him or did Will wink at him? He was suddenly reminded of the battle a few weeks ago when he'd summoned skeletons against Will's orders and had been caught by the worrisome healer, and then the first minute on the hill where he'd grabbed Nico's hands to make a point about delivering a baby and shaking hands. Gods, Will was directing this song at him wasn't he? "When the going gets rough right when it's hurting, I will be there to help bear the burden. Any place, any time," his sky blue eyes were staring straight into Nico's dark brown ones. Yep, the song was meant for him. "You gotta know for you I'll fight."

"Ooh o-oh, ooh o-oh."

"Any place, any time, you gotta know for you I'll fight."

Will closed his eyes as his voice rose in volume. "Anywhere you go, you're gonna find me. No matter what you need. If you ever fall down and you can't get back, if you lose your strength to stand…"

And then he was giving Nico a soft look, a warm smile on his face that made Nico's usually cold skin burn. "But if you ever fall down straight to the bottom, and you can't get back where you started, with no strength to stand, I'm gonna reach for your hand," he grabbed Kayla's hand and they spun each other for the last few lines. "When the going gets rough right when it's hurting, I will be there to help bear the burden. Any place, any time, you gotta know for you I'll fight."

"Ooh o-oh, ooh o-oh."

"Any place, any time," he finished quietly with his eyes on Nico, "you gotta know for you I'll fight."

The applause was so loud the son of Apollo actually stumbled back. It was obvious he hadn't expected his attempt at sing to turn out so well, but apparently all he'd been lacking was passion. When he was truthful and singing the right song he was by far one of the best singers in camp.

"Great job, Will!" Apollo said while slapping him on the back in congratulations. "I knew deep down you'd inherited more than just my gift of healing."

The demigod seemed flustered. "Um, thanks. It means a lot that you liked it, dad." However, his eyes darted at Nico. He seemed to be looking to him for praise, not the god of music.

However, before anything like that could happen, Apollo grinned before taking the microphone from his son and tossing it to the one he'd cursed.

"It's your turn, di Angelo. Just try to top my son!"

Will held back a groan of embarrassment before returning to where he had been sitting next to Nico, Lou Ellen, and Cecil while the son of Hades made his way over to the musicians. It took a few minutes for Kayla to get everything set up. When the music started though, he was surprised. He knew exactly what song his friend would be singing and at first the tone seemed so unlike him.

"All day," he began while inspecting his shoes, "staring at the ceiling, making friends with shadows on my wall." Sure it could have been a play on the song, but in this case it was true. He was friends with the element in a way. "All night hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something."

"Hold on. Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown, and I don't know why."

"But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know right now you can't tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see a different side of me. I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. I know right now you don't care, but soon enough you're gonna think of me, and how I used to be... me."

"Talking to myself in public, dodging glances on the train. And I know," he finally gathered the courage to look at his audience. "I know they've all been talking about me. I can hear them whisper and it makes me think there must be something wrong with me. Out of all the hours thinking somehow I've lost my mind." The emotion in his voice made Will's heart clench. Did he really think that's what people were whispering about? Sure some campers were jerks but a lot just wanted to know more about him. Nico was mysterious since he rarely spent time at camp; most of what people said when he wasn't around was just to find out about him because he didn't seek anyone himself.

However, as he continued his lips quirked upward. "But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell." He was a bit of a mess right now, fading-wise. "I know right now you can't tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see a different side of me." And they would. "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. I know right now you don't care, but soon enough you're gonna think of me, and how I used to be."

"I've been talking in my sleep. Pretty soon they'll come to get me. Yeah, they're taking me away…"

"But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know right now you can't tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you'll see a different side of me." Now Nico was staring at Will. The healer was already learning about this side, and it from what Will could tell from the intense look he was getting it appeared as if Nico was willing to let him even further in. "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. I know right now you don't care, but soon enough you're gonna think of me, and how I used to be. Yeah, how I used to be. How I used to be. Well, I'm just a little unwell." Another awkward, tight-lipped smile. "How I used to be, how I used to be; I'm just a little unwell."

Like he had done the first night he'd sung, he faded into the shadows after gently resting the golden microphone on the ground before him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> I'll Fight by Daughtry  
> Unwell by Matchbox Twenty


	6. Chapter 6

Nico usually had the ability to influence his dreamscape. When he fell asleep he was able to guide his consciousness to the Hypnos Cabin if he so pleased, or simply not dream at all. Perhaps it was a blessing from Hypnos, or maybe he was a legacy of the god, but this gift allowed him to get some rest after everything he'd been through. He was grateful. Of course he did still have nightmares; however, they weren't as frequent as they'd been during his stay on the  _Argo II_. They were actually pretty rare (especially ever since he'd begun hanging around Will Solace).

Unfortunately though, tonight was one of those rare nights. The night terror struck the son of Hades hard and caught him off-guard after the fairly good events at the campfire.

He awoke when he combat rolled out of bed, his throat dry from silently screaming (as he'd trained himself not to bother others with his nighttime burdens). As he slowly got up from off the floor his eyes flickered around the room worriedly. The cabin felt colder and darker without his sister there.

Irrational fear gripped his heart. There were no shadows around since the moonlight was blocked by the thick black curtains over the cabin's two windows, and after such a restless night he needed something there to comfort him. On the other hand, opening the curtains required him to get up and cross the room. Despite the magical borders around camp Nico felt as if there were something hiding in the room watching his every move. If he made to walk across the room, whatever was hiding would pounce on him.

At least that's how he felt.

After taking a few deep and albeit shaky breaths, he decided the safest thing to do was not move. He drew his knees up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them, and rested his chin on his arms. Even though he was curled into a ball he felt the chill of the cabin (or maybe it was all in his head) bite at him.

" _There's nothing left to lose,"_  he whispered quietly as he tried forcing himself to calm down.  _"The fighting never ends. I can't face the dark without you…"_

He didn't know how long he sat there quietly singing lyrics to songs he didn't know, but when soft knocks were heard on the door he froze.

"Nico?" The son of Hades was split between sighing in relief or jumping into his bed and feigning sleep. "I'm coming in, alright?"

Nico hugged himself tighter as the son of Apollo quietly opened and closed the door before walking towards him.

"Death Boy? What are you doing on the floor?" Will sat on the floor next to him, their legs and arms brushing slightly making Nico flinch away from him. Suddenly the healer seemed more concerned, his voice carrying a worried tone to it. "You can't possibly have found a proper sleeping position like that. Your back and neck will pay for it in the morning."

When the younger didn't take his bait, Will hoping he'd glare at him for being a mother hen again, he hesitantly placed a warm hand on Nico's shoulder. Of course he felt bad when he stiffened under the touch; why was he so against physical contact?

"Nico," he whispered gently as he tried to get him to look up. Currently he had his face buried in his arms. "Hey, I'm your friend. You can tell me what's wrong. If you don't feel comfortable with that then at least let me help you feel better, okay? Would hearing embarrassing stories about me cheer you up?"

" _Don't waste your time on me."_ Nico responded while raising his head a few inches so his words wouldn't be muffled.  _"You're already a voice inside my head."_

Will quirked an eyebrow. "My time is never wasted talking to you, Death Boy. Also, I'm glad my constant doctoring has allowed me to hijack your conscience," he grinned. Nico was surprised he could see it despite the absence of light.

After a few minutes of silence, he realized he was glaring at the son of Apollo. He had a million questions to ask him but had no idea how with the curse bending his words. He wanted to know why he was here in his cabin. Why visit him in the middle of the night and risk getting eaten by the patrolling harpies? How did he know out of all nights this one was the one he needed him?

"You know," Will started sincerely, "I came here because you needed me. Before you ask me what I'm talking about, let me tell you I woke up not too long ago from shadows tugging me out of bed. Maybe you did it on purpose and maybe you didn't, but I am here now."

Suddenly, Will decided to take his chances and wrapped an arm around his friend. He pulled the dark-haired teenager to him, ignoring the way his body locked up, and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"I don't regret it either."

They sat like that for a while. So much time passed he thought Nico had fallen asleep, but that was proven to be untrue when the son of Hades began talking to him through song.

" _I need another story, something to get off my chest. My life gets kinda boring, need something that I can confess 'til all my sleeves are stained red from all the truth that I've said."_

Will gazed at him in the dark. "You can tell me anything, Nico. I won't tell a soul. Tell me as little or as much as you want, and I'll try my hardest to understand what you mean. I might have to interrupt just to make sure I'm not guessing wrong though."

Nico nodded before taking a deep breath, relaxingly somewhat after remaining tense the entirety of Will's visit.

" _Everyone ends up alone."_ By everyone he meant him. _"Losing her,"_  Bianca, obviously,  _"the only one who's ever known who I am, who I'm not, who I wanna be."_ His mind whirled as more songs came to mind so he could best explain what he wanted to.  _"I hide myself in the dark."_ This is true.  _"My flaws hide well here. I used to be afraid of cluttered noises, now I'm afraid of silence."_

Ever since Tartarus, he didn't like being alone. The noises of other campers and people in general, something that used to annoy him to no end, was now something he needed in order to remember he was no longer in that place. He wanted them around to remind him he was alive, that he was in the world with other members of the living and not surrounded by monsters.

" _Hope the wound heals but it never does,"_  he continued shakily.  _"These battle scars don't look like they're fading, don't look like they're ever going away. They ain't never gonna change."_

"Wait," Will cut in gently. "I'm sorry but I don't know what you're referring to. Um, are you talking about the Second Titan War?" A shake of the head. "The whole Gaea incident?" Nope, that wasn't it either.

" _Falling in the black, slipping through the cracks, falling to the depths can I ever go back?"_  How in the name of his father was he supposed to tell Will about Tartarus through song?  _"Can't hear me scream from the abyss?"_

When Nico stayed silent, Will realized these lyrics were important.

"Falling, abyss…" he mumbled under his breath. After a moment his eyes widened. "No, that can't be. Percy and Annabeth were the only ones to go to— to have been pulled into…"

The way Nico's body began trembling was all the confirmation he needed.

"I can't believe you had to go through that. At least you had those two though, right?"

A small shake of the head made Will's stomach clench. Nico had gone through Greek Hell all by himself? The fact he'd told Will about it amazed both of them; however, he wasn't done. He still had many more secrets to spill.

" _Arrow holes,"_  Nico continued as a hand found one of Will's and latched onto it tightly,  _"they never close from Cupid on a shooting spree."_

"You met Eros?" Will guessed, and a nod was his answer. "He's a god of love, but I'm guessing he wasn't as kind and loving as his title makes him out to be." Another nod. "Did he… hurt you?" Nico shrugged, sighing before picking up Will's hand and placing it on the left side of his chest.

" _Bunch of stereotypes all in my head,"_  he sang as his heartrate spiked. He was about to take a huge leap of faith.  _"Preconceived idea of what it all meant, for those that liked the same sex."_

He waited for Will to push him away, maybe even jump up and run out of the cabin. With his eyes closed though he didn't notice the smile replacing Will's once shocked face.

"Nico, look at me. I don't care if you like girls, boys, or hermaphrodites. I like you for you, not because of your sexual orientation. Don't think the possibility of checking me out is going to scare me away, okay? This just means it won't feel as awkward when you catch me admiring you during the day and at campfires."

Okay, so that had not been what Nico expected would happen. He certainly did not expect his skin to warm from the contact with an apparently homosexual and available son of Apollo that seemed to be interested in him as well.

A laugh escaped the blonde-haired teenager. "I won't tell anyone about any of this, alright? The word is around camp you're from the forties and I understand how difficult it must be for you to come out when back then things were rough for people like us. I'm out, which in case you don't know that means everyone knows I'm gay, but since this is news to me I'm guessing no one but a few of your other close friends know. Your secret is safe with me, got that, Death Boy?"

To both of their surprise, Nico hugged the living nightlights out of Will.

" _It's hard for me to say the things I want to say sometimes,"_  he sang softly, his body completely relaxed for the first time in his waking hours since forever ago.  _"Thank you."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Without You by Breaking Benjamin  
> I Miss You by Blink-182  
> Secrets by One Republic  
> You Found Me by The Fray  
> In the Dark by Flyleaf  
> Battle Scars by Guy Sebastian ft. Lupe Fiasco  
> Falling Inside the Black by Skillet  
> Same Love by Macklemore  
> Thank You for Loving Me by Bon Jovi


	7. Chapter 7

"Gods of Olympus," Annabeth muttered as Jason and Percy grinned at each other on stage.

Will, who was sitting on the step behind her and Piper with Nico, tilted his head curiously. "What's wrong?"

Piper pointed at the two sons of the Big Three excitedly telling Kayla what song they wanted to sing. "You know how they keep calling each other bros all of the time? Well I jokingly told them about a song in hopes it would show them they are taking being bros a bit too seriously, but it had the opposite effect."

The son of Apollo nodded. "What song are they going to sing?"

No one got the chance to answer, because the music began just then. On stage Jason and Percy were standing side by side while facing the crowd. They shared matching excited smiles before bursting out in song, having no shame when it came to being idiots.

" _It's like Eminem and Dr. Dre,"_  Jason started,  _"if I loved you more I might be gay!"_

" _And when I'm feeling down,"_  Percy continued,  _"you know just what to say."_

" _You my homie, yeah you know me."_  The blonde smiled before winking at the son of Posiedon.  _"And if you ever need a wingman I'd let any girl,"_  he glanced at Piper while making a "not you" motion,  _"blow me off, cause you're more important than the rest."_

" _I confess, I'm a mess if I'm not hanging with my BFF. You know it's true, you my male boo. Now sing the chorus with me if you're feeling the same way too."_

" _Bromance,"_  they sang together while glancing at each other and grinning,  _"nothing really gay about it! Not, that there's anything wrong with being gay."_ From the crowd Nico groaned before hiding his face with his hands. If only Jupiter and Poseidon could see their children now.  _"Bromance, shouldn't be ashamed or hide it."_  The two turned to each other before clasping hands.  _"I love you in the most heterosexual way!"_

They sang the rest of the song, Jason grabbing Leo from the crowd to join them (and boy did he eat up the spotlight) while Percy ended up at sword point by Nico when he tried to get the son of Hades to join.

"Your bros are hilarious, Death Boy." Will laughed as the crowd roared as they finished the song and bowed graciously.

Nico shook his head, wishing he could simply say they were all morons without singing it.

Soon it was Nico's turn, and after the amazing day he'd had after falling asleep in Will's arms that morning his spirits were pretty high. He wasn't going to sing some happy song though; that wasn't him. No, he knew just what song he wanted to sing and how tonight was going to mark him changing for the better.

A few minutes later, a lively but somewhat dark tune began that contrasted the silly mood created just before. Will frowned at the sudden change; however, when Nico threw the son of Apollo a small smile the frown turned into a look of surprise.

" _Memories consume like opening the wounds. I'm picking me apart again,"_  he started softly against the music in the background. If it weren't for the microphone automatically adjusting the volume the audience might not hear him over the many instruments being played.  _"You all assume I'm safe here in my room, unless I try to start again. I don't want to be the one the battles always choose, 'cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused."_

Now Nico knew exactly what the song was about while singing it. It was the same sort of Apollo gifted intuition that allowed him to randomly sing songs he'd never even heard before. On the other hand, like many do when listening to music he looked at it with his own spin. To him the song was about giving up all the grief he'd given himself throughout the years, showing he would try to open up to others and be the exception his father wanted him to be. To him it meant forgiving himself and learning that there were people out there that were willing to accept him for who he was.

To him, this song meant changing for the better.

" _I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream. I don't know why I instigate and say what I don't mean."_  Gods he did that a lot when it came to Will, and sometimes Jason. He needed to get a reign on that temper of his.  _"I don't know how I got this way, I know it's not alright, so I'm breaking the habit. I'm breaking the habit tonight."_

" _Clutching my cure,"_  he risked a glance at Will before closing his eyes,  _"I tightly lock the door. I try to catch my breath again. I hurt much more than any time before; I have no options left again. I don't want to be the one the battles always choose,"_ the Fates were pretty cruel to him. _"Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused."_

" _I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream. I don't know why I instigate and say what I don't mean. I don't know how I got this way, I'll never be alright,"_ he self-consciously stood up straighter so he would be able to sing the next few lines better. The music was getting quite intense. Nico was actually surprised the Apollo children could camper just about any musical mood incredibly well.  _"So I'm breaking the habit, I'm breaking the habit tonight."_

His brown eyes met blue for a brief second, a slow smile working its way to his face as he belted out the next line.  _"I'll paint it on the walls, 'cause I'm the one at fault. I'll never fight again,"_ and by fighting he meant fighting help and not pushing others away like he'd been doing since he lost Bianca, _"and this is how it ends."_

" _I don't know what's worth fighting for, or why I have to scream, but now I have some clarity to show you what I mean."_ Now he stared directly as Will, both showcasing tiny smiles on their faces as the song came to an end.  _"I don't know how I got this way. I'll never be alright, so I'm breaking the habit. I'm breaking the habit. I'm breaking the habit tonight…"_

When the music came to a halt, for once Nico did not use the shadows as an escape route. He merely walked over to Apollo, handed him the golden microphone, and then returned to his seat.

As the night wound down soon after that, the son of Hades couldn't help notice the proud looks he was getting from his friends. They probably knew how hard it was to choose to be near people and stick around after doing something he'd definitively never go out of his way to do. It was Will's actions that meant the most though.

"Nico," Will stated as his father stepped up and instructed people to go back to their cabins. The two rose in sync before naturally heading towards the Hades Cabin together. "I just wanted to tell you I'm impressed with how you're trying to open up. It means a lot that you're adjusting and beginning to see that you do belong, that you're not the monster you sang about two days ago. I knew you could do it."

Nico was glad it was dark otherwise his blush would be far too noticeable. He glared at his friend, who simply ruffled the younger's hair in response before saying something that stunned him further.

"Oh, and before you tuck in for the night I was going to ask you about something. It's true you can walk through dreams like Clovis, right?"

A nod was his answer.

"Well," he continued while rubbing the back of his neck, an action he only did whenever he was nervous, "I was hoping you'd visit my dream tonight. It would make it a lot harder for your subconscious to leave you with another nightmare if I was there distracting you after all. You need more sleep and I'd be happy to help you achieve that as long as you'll have me."

His request sounded so like the head healer of camp, but Nico's heart beat just a bit faster at what else Will's request could mean. The joy he felt, however, scared him from answering. He did not want to burst out singing some happy song about love; it would ruin everything (or at least he thought it would).

Since he was too busy looking anywhere but Will, Nico didn't notice the way his lack of an answer was taken. The blonde-haired demigod frowned before awkwardly raising a hand in goodbye.

"Um, I guess dream sharing is a bit personal. I understand that you don't want to. I'll pray to my dad and Hypnos for sweet dreams for you though, okay? Night, di Angelo."

Noticing his mistake, Nico opened his mouth on instinct.

" _I know it's time to leave, but you'll be in my dreams tonight."_

Nico face-palmed. Will merely broke out in a grin and chuckled.

"See you soon then, Death Boy."

As the son of Hades watched his crush walk across the green to his own cabin, Nico couldn't help but think that perhaps his dreams would be sweet tonight regardless if he was blessed or not. He had learned recently that when Will Solace was around anything is possible. Otherwise, how could a son of Hades feel so happy?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Bromance by Nigahiga  
> Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park  
> Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum


	8. Chapter 8

Nico was nervous.

Due to Will's offer, the son of Hades found himself staring at his ceiling for almost half an hour. Falling asleep quickly wasn't uncommon for the troubled demigod either. He enjoyed sleep when the possibility of nightmares was low like it was when he was exhausted or in a good mood, but his earlier promise of visiting his friend's dreamscape made it hard to slip into his own. What if he's already dreaming about something personal and Nico interrupts? That would just be awkward.

On the other hand, if he didn't visit Will he knew the healer would be a bit upset. Nico did not want to do that to the person that was doing so much to take care of him. After realizing this, he used his own powers to make him drowsy. The next thing he knew was the familiar black room of his subconscious.

It felt like only a second had passed by the time Nico steered himself towards the dreams of the Apollo kids and walked into Will's dreamscape. Since time in dreams was fluid, however, he supposed at least a few minutes had passed by in normal time. Either way, his mind dropped the issue with time after taking in his surroundings.

He was on a beach in the middle of the day, the sun shining high above him while thin white clouds dotted the soft blue expanse sky. All around him demigods he knew or recognized around camp were running around doing various activities like swimming, building sandcastles, or surfing. Nico took this in while looking around for dream Will, a smile making its way to his face. The feeling in the air was one of home, safety, and fun. He could not tell if this was just induced by Will's desires or if this was how he himself felt. There wasn't time to figure it out though, since a gentle hand touched his shoulder and caused the visitor to jump.

"Sorry!" Nico immediately recognized his crush's voice. When he turned around to face him, however, his face lit up crimson. He had to turn away from a half-naked, unbelievably hot (not just in temperature because it felt eighty degrees out and his father was the sun god) Will Solace.

"Will," he said in a strained voice, the shock at being able to actually talk while in dreams passing through him like a ghost, "for Favonius' sake please put on a shirt."

From the corner of his eyes, which he only let wander towards the boy's face, he saw the blonde stare at him confusedly before grinning deviously.

"Why? Favonius doesn't seem to be around. We're also at the beach on a hot summer day, so I think leaving my shirt off so I don't overheat is a wise decision."

Nico moved his head slightly to glare at him, realizing much too late that his gaze had slipped downward to scan his chest. It took nearly ten seconds for him to break said gaze and spit out a retort.

"You control your dream, Sunshine! Make it a bit cooler and cover yourself; you're distracting."

With the same grin on his face, Will gestured to his tan chest while wiggling an eyebrow. "I thought the whole point of visiting my dream was to make sure you wouldn't have nightmares? Considering I'm doing a very good job of keeping your mind away from unpleasant things with this very pleasant view it seems I'm doing my job as a medical professional pretty well."

"The only thing you're a professional at is being an idiot!"

"I think you're just flustered and embarrassed," Will accused coyly. "I can tell by the way your usually pale skin is now the cutest shade of pink. Like what you see?"

"Solace!"

"Don't deny it, di Angelo. Besides, you're staring at my chest right now."

Of course he was right. At this Nico hurriedly covered his eyes with his hand and groaned.

"I just recently sort of came to terms with my preference of guys over girls," he stated while telling himself he did not want to look at his shirtless friend anymore, "and if you think it's funny teasing me with a body just as perfect as every little thing about you then I'm leaving."

No sooner than it was said did Nico realize his blunder. He did not think Will was perfect! Okay, he might, but he certainly didn't mean to tell him that.

"You think I'm perfect?" Instead of a cocky reply to the compliment, the healer dropped the grin that had been on his face and stared at Nico. He seemed touched by what the son of Hades said.

On the other hand, fear spiked through the younger demigod when he misinterpreted the look of surprise.

"I didn't mean it," he corrected hurriedly. Friends didn't tell other friends they were perfect, especially in appearance after all, and he didn't want to ruin the friendship that had been long building up between the two. "I'm sorry for staring at you and making you uncomfortable. I'll just go build a sand castle with dream Cecil and Lou—"

"Nico!" A warm hand grabbed his forearm, causing him to panic. Will's voice was serious and his eyes were smoldering with the lecture he was about to give. However, being his usual self-degrading self, Nico thought the lecture was going to be about how his apologies were meaningless or that he wanted him to leave his dream. Deciding he didn't want to hear Will say any of that to him, he involuntarily took the matter into his own hands.

Without warning the scene around them rushed away as two were wrenched from Will's subconscious and pulled into Nico's now buzzing mind. To his horror the blackness began to take the shape of a valley of broken glass, acrid heat rising from the leathery ground they now stood on.

Will, his dream self now wearing what Nico had last seen him in, guessed where they were immediately. He turned towards Nico and gathered him into a hug without hesitation.

"Calm down, Death Boy." He instructed pleasantly despite the way Nico was trying to get out of his embrace. The screams and roars of monsters around them made him shiver. "You didn't do anything wrong and I'm not uncomfortable in the slightest. Transport us back to my dream and we'll talk, okay?"

"I can't," the son of Hades whispered back.

"Yes, you can. I know you can."

He shook his head. "Will, there are too many bad memories on the surface for me to concentrate."

A hot, humid wind flew past them at that moment and they both tensed. Nico mumbled something about "the breath of Tartarus" before hiding his face in his friend's chest.

"Hey," Will said suddenly, "how about you focus on my voice, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, he began to quietly sing a song Nico hadn't heard before.

" _When you try your best, but you don't succeed. When you get what you want, but not what you need. When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep. Stuck in reverse…"_

The soothing sound of his singing distracted Nico well. The way he sang and the song itself had a quiet beauty to it that reminded him of the songs his mother and Bianca would sing to him when he was young.

" _And the tears come streaming down your face. When you lose something you can't replace. When you love someone, but it goes to waste. Could it be worse?"_  Nico sighed inwardly as he thought of Percy. He quickly pushed it out of his mind as the son of Apollo continued to sing.

" _Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you."_

Resolve to get them out of his mind flooded him urgently at the lyrics. He didn't know if Will was trying to tell him something though the song or not but it was really looking like it to Nico and he did not know how to feel about it.

" _And high up above or down below. When you're too in love to let it go,_ " now Nico was really focusing, the scary backdrop of his subconscious lifting and sending them drifting into Will's, " _but if you never try you'll never know just what you're worth."_

" _Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you."_

And then they were back in Will's happy sunny beach dream. It didn't matter much though because they did not break their embrace. Both of them were perfectly fine with standing there listening to the sounds of their friends laughter, content with the other's arms around one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Fix You by Coldplay


	9. Chapter 9

When morning came, Nico actually went to breakfast so he could "talk" to his friends. Things were getting too out of hand for him to comprehend and he needed advice.

As he took a seat at the table, the five of the Seven and Calypso greeted him. Leo and Jason were debating how to design a shrine for Nemesis since Leo had met her before. Everyone else was simply eating while listening to the conversation, so Nico took a deep breath before tapping on Annabeth's shoulder.

Gray eyes blinked at him in confusion before a smile lit her features. "What's up, Nico?"

" _Uncertainty enveloping my mind 'til I can't break free_ ," he sang, attracting attention of the others. Jason quietly nudged Percy and Leo to ignore them, allowing Piper and Calypso to turn their attention to the son of Hades and daughter of Athena instead. Nico silently thanked Jason, who knew Percy and Leo would only make things more difficult for his "little bro".

"You want to talk about something, is that right?"

Nico nodded, wringing his hands nervously while glancing at the Apollo table. Piper caught his gaze.

"Does it concern a certain Will Solace?" The daughter of Aphrodite asked.

" _I never saw it coming. I started to black out and then someone said good morning._ " That actually happened a few times in the infirmary during his three days of mandatory rest. " _I took it as a warning; I should have seen it coming_."

Calypso gazed at him perplexed until it was like a light bulb went off in her head.

"You're worried about the feelings you're developing for Will, aren't you? I get where you're coming from after being cursed to fall in love with various heroes that landed on my island. It can be a scary thing at first."

Nodding again, he turned to Annabeth once more. " _So now I'll take a chance on this thing we may have started. Intentional or not I don't think we saw it coming_."

"I'm sure Will saw it coming," Piper winked.

" _My heartbeat beats me senselessly. Why's everything got to be so intense with me?_ "

"You're fourteen," Athena's daughter pointed out. "You grew up in the forties and missed out on a lot of interaction with other kids in your age group. It's not uncommon for someone to be nervous while falling in love you know. On the plus side you shouldn't have to worry about rejection."

Nico shook his head. " _In all probability it's a long shot and I say why not? If I say forget it I know that I'll regret it. It's a long shot just to beat these odds. The chance is we won't make it but I know if I don't take it there's no chance_."

Piper shared a meaningful look with the blond beside her before rolling her eyes.

"Nico, Will is definitely infatuated with you. You really don't need to worry."

" _Maybe it's a dream_ ," he sang quietly, " _maybe nothing else is real._ "

The girls exchanged worried looks, Jason seeming concerned from where he was seated as well.

"Nico," Annabeth spoke softly. "I understand you've been through difficult times. We all have been. That doesn't mean that you don't have the potential to be happy."

" _I'm tired of all the pain, all the misery inside, and I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night. You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go, but I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know. If I make another move there'll be no more turning back, because everything will change and it all will fade to black._ "

"Do all children of Hades have such a depressing outlook on life?" Calypso asked before sighing. "It won't hurt to take a chance. I think the Fates are even in your favor this time, you know. And if today doesn't feel like a good day to test you potential just remember tomorrow will be brighter."

" _Will tomorrow ever come? Will I make it through the night? Will there ever be a place for the broken in the light?"_

Jason frowned, opening his mouth to say something when Nico continued.

" _Am I hurting? Am I sad? Should I stay, or should I go? I've forgotten how to tell. Did I ever even know? Can I take another step? I've done everything I can. All the people that I see,_ " he gazed at them sadly, " _I will never understand. If I find a way to change, if I step into the light, then I'll never be the same and it all will fade to white."_

"The light isn't all that bad, Ghost King. You should know this after all of the times I've dragged you out of the shadows since you've been here."

It was with red ears that Nico turned to see Will Solace and his ever-present smile right behind him.

"Anyway," the blonde said while waving in greeting, "good morning all. Has Nico eaten anything yet?"

Rolling his eyes, the son of Hades picked a fruit wedge off of his plate and began nibbling on it. Will gave him a pointed look as if to tell him he was going to eat more than that, but didn't press.

After everyone ate their fill, Percy was off to sword train some of the younger demigods. Annabeth was once again working on designs for Olympus while Piper assisted Jason with shrine ideas. Leo and Calypso were busy working on some secret project in the depths of the Hephaestus Cabin.

"What do you feel like doing today?" Will asked as he and Nico left the table and stood outside the pavilion unsure where to go. "My shift in the infirmary doesn't start until after dinner, so if you have an idea…"

"' _Would it be all right if we just sat and talked for a little while?'"_

At the words, Will's face lit up. He knew that song.

"' _If in exchange for your time I give you this smile?'"_ The blond responded, causing the younger to blush slightly.

"' _That's okay as long as you can make a promise not to break my little heart or leave me all alone in the summer.'"_

Will was tempted to keep their song-ervation going, but decided to spare Nico. "Okay. How about we head over to the lake? We can sit on the dock and relax as long as Jackson isn't anywhere nearby. Knowing him we'll end up drenched if he's around."

Nodding, Nico grabbed Will's wrist and began pulling him in the direction of the lake. He didn't notice the soft look of affection enter Will's eyes as he pulled him along, but Will could tell by the pink on Nico's cheeks he knew what he was doing.

And that made Will even happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Bad Apple by Nomico *used again after lyrics from Long Shot  
> Long Shot by Kelly Clarkson  
> When the Day Met the Night by Panic! at the Disco


	10. Chapter 10

It was only after sitting on the dock for a few minutes that their peace was shattered. Looking back on it now, Nico wished Will and he would have just left as soon as the son of Ares eyed them with his cold sharp gaze.

"Well if it isn't the son of death and the healer," the boy said as he approached them. A girl and another boy flanked him on either side, effectively blocking anyone from getting around them.

Will narrowed his eyes at the trio. "He's not the son of Thanatos; Hades is the lord of the Underworld. I would think any demigod with common sense would know the difference."

The camper shrugged as if it didn't matter. "You would be the one to know a bunch of garbage information. It's not like you can actually do anything but be useless after all."

Beside the blond, Nico tensed. Noting this Will spoke before Nico could attempt to sing what he thought he was feeling.

"Useless? Tell me that next time you get seriously injured in capture the flag."

"Oh, you think you aren't useless because you're a healer? How about when my little sister died because you couldn't save her, huh? You let her die."

Beside the son of Ares, his younger companions nodded. It seemed they were all siblings that had lost one of their own and were now pinning the blame on Will.

Will stood up fast, his mouth open in protest as his eyes took on an almost broken quality.

"I tried everything I could to save Emily," the son of Apollo said. "My siblings and I sat with her for days trying to stop the infection but it still reached her heart even with the ambrosia and unicorn draught. While I'm sorry for your loss it is unfair for you to—"

Quicker than he could have reacted, the son of Ares shot forward and pushed him backwards into the lake. Of course Will could swim so it wasn't a big deal, but at that moment the shadows from under the dock came alive. The trio of demigods before Nico was forced to take a few steps backwards as he stood up, waves of anger radiating off of him.

" _We all know that life ain't fair_ ," he sang tersely. This only seemed to make the children of Ares more annoyed though.

"Oh, now the son of Hades is going to preach to us? In song no less." He scoffed, eyes blazing. "You probably aided in her death by being in the infirmary while she was being healed. Everyone around you dies, but you probably enjoy that don't you?"

Shaking his head violently, he cursed Apollo once more for making him unable to talk back to these jerks. " _Seems I've crossed the line again for being nothing more than who I am._ "

"Nico!" Will said as he pulled himself back onto the dock dripping wet. He placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder despite this, causing brown eyes to meet blue hesitantly. "They aren't worth our time. Let's just leave, okay?"

Laughter rang out at this, causing Will and Nico to glare at their aggressors.

"This is hilarious! At first I thought what I heard was just a rumor but it seems to be that you two really are interested in each other. That's perfect," he crowed. "It really is. The useless and death-bringer make a gross but good match."

" _All you'll ever be is a faded memory of a bully,"_  Nico sang as he shook off Will's comforting hand.  _"Make another joke while they hang another rope so lonely. Push him to the dirt 'til the words don't hurt. Can you hear me? No one's going to cry on the very day you die, you're a bully!"_

"What did you just call me, monster?"

Monster?

Everything happened as if in slow motion to Will. All of a sudden on the other side of the dock a group of skeletons sprang from the ground holding swords. The temperature dropped several degrees as well, making Will shiver as he stepped in front of a now shaking Nico. What startled Will the most was how Nico's once dark brown eyes appeared to swirl black with shadows as he exuded an air of anger and fear so strong the three bullies began to panic. The skeletons approaching them didn't help either.

"Nico," Will called softly as he noticed a few campers watching run towards the big house. He saw one of his siblings among them and prayed she knew to fetch Jason or Percy if she could. "Please calm down. You know you aren't fully healed, and using your powers this much might—"

As if the fates were reading his mind, his hands slipped through the son of Hades' now transparent form. With a gasp from the younger demigod the temperature returned to normal and the skeletons disintegrated. However, the damage was done. Everything went black for Nico as he collapsed on the dock fading fast.

"No! No no no," he chanted while dropping to his knees by the fallen demigod. The bullies seemed as if they were going to stop Will from healing him, but when shouts from the five of the Seven and Calypso reached their ears they fled. "You can't fade, di Angelo."

He set to healing right away, light glowing dimly from the palms of his hands while Jason and Annabeth knelt down next to him. The others stood by and made sure no one was around to interrupt anything.

"Do we need to get him to the infirmary?" Jason asked.

Breaking his concentration, the panicked healer shook his head.

"It doesn't matter where he is; I need to stop him from fading. The shadows are eating him alive," he said shakily as he closed his eyes. "Is my father around?"

Percy frowned angrily. "He and Chiron are at a meeting at Olympus. Mr. D is of no help, so it's up to you, Solace."

"Do what you need to do, Will." Annabeth said encouragingly. "You healed me from the brink of death during the battle of Manhattan. I am confident you can save him too."

Thankful he wasn't blushing, the son of Apollo managed to nod. "I would normally sing a hymn to my father, but since he may not be able to listen I'll have to sing an alternate form of song. I'm a terrible singer but since my healing skills are above average it may just work."

"We're not going to judge you," Piper replied. She turned to give Leo a warning look. "Go guard the end of the dock to make sure no one gets close. Will, we'll give you some space."

Will barely heard her words. He was already preparing himself mentally, resting his hands over Nico's faint shadowy form.

" _So everything that makes me whole belongs to you I'll give heart and soul,"_ he sang softly under his breath. _"I'm yours."_

" _Hey_ ," his voice became little louder, reaching a moderate talking volume, after the other demigods walked part of the way down the dock and couldn't hear him as well. " _I've never laughed like this in my life, forgetting all of the bitter strife._ " He thought about how they had been before those morons had messed everything up. " _I know I've made mistakes, even so I'm glad I kept my feet on that path because it's brought me to where I am today. I'm here with you"_

When he realized his friend wasn't getting any better, tears welled up in Will's eyes. He had to try harder or Nico was going to fade.

" _I'll keep my head held high always looking at the not too distant sky,"_ he raised his voice as he sang with emotion. _"And I promise you we will go far where the stars all are 'cause we'll be connected by our joining hands. Smile and all of my tears dry and this love of ours will never die."_

" _The two of us have something precious we must protect no matter what, but there will come a time when our own strength alone won't be enough."_ Though his eyes were closed, Nico's friends were listening with awe as the light from Will's hand grew strong and evaporated the darkness from the son of Hades' transparent form. _"Even if all hope is lost and somehow you and I lose our way, and even if the darkness comes and tries to take you far away I'll become the light that shines down enveloping all dark you see! I'll hold you close and won't let even God above take you from me."_ Will's heart clenched at how true this was. He was in way too deep in Cupid's game _. "So everything that makes me whole belongs to you I'll give my heart and soul. I'm yours."_

To his delight, when Will opened his eyes Nico's form was almost solid. This made him wipe the few tears that had escaped him a few seconds before away and take a deep breath before resuming the song with renewed feeling.

" _Hey, in this world I can see so much beauty_   _and happiness that I can't help but believe we'll find it too."_ He sang quietly as he gazed at his crush. He didn't even care that Nico's friends, Jason and Piper more so than the others, had migrated closer to him and were listening in with interest.

" _There will come a time when someone accuses you of telling lies,"_ he went on, growing louder as he did. _"And they'll try and hurt you with their heartless words and judging eyes. Even if the world turns on you and won't believe a word you say, and even if they make you wear a crown of thorns upon your head— I will stand and be the one to wipe away those tears you shed, and when someone's hurt you let me be the arms you can run to."_ Suddenly he saw Nico's eyelids twitch, and a blush erupted on his face as it became apparent Nico may have been listening to him sing. Still, he decided to keep singing. Just because he was solid didn't mean he was safe yet. _"So everything that makes me whole belongs to you; I'll give my heart and soul. I'm yours._

He took another deep breath as he readied himself to sing the last few lines when a cool hand on his face stopped him.

" _One day,"_  Nico sang so softly Will had to bend down to hear him,  _"you will understand all the mysteries inside my heart. I will wait for that day praying that we will never fall apart."_

"Death Boy," Will said warningly as he noticed the shadows around from afar drifting towards them. "What's going on?" This caught the attention of the other demigods, making them rush over to Will and Nico just as he continued singing.

" _Even if all hope is lost and somehow I'm forced to fade away,"_ he said through song, sending a bout of fear coursing through those listening _, "and even if I disappear, I know that things will okay. I'll become eternal and will live on in your memory. I'll never forget you and I hope you will remember me. You're my dearest treasure and for you I'd take my heart and soul. And I'd risk it all._

"Stop talking, I mean, singing like that! You're going to be fine."

However, a second later Nico's form burst into a cloud of shadows.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Bully by Shinedown  
> My Dearest by Supercell (lyrics from Amalee's cover)


	11. Chapter 11

Three days later, Chiron told Will that Hazel would lead the burning of Nico's shroud if he didn't want to participate. The healer had refused to come to term with Nico's death even after Hazel traveled to Camp Half-blood crying that she couldn't locate her brother's soul. No, Will had ranted that if Percy and Leo had turned up alive despite their shrouds being burned then there was a chance of Nico showing up too.

"He can't be gone," Will stated without any emotion in his voice. His siblings glanced at Chiron worriedly from where the centaur stood by the Apollo table.

"I'm sorry, Will. I truly am. However, I know Nico would rather have you and Hazel perform his burial rites seeing as you two were…" There was a spark in his intelligent eyes that did not go unnoticed by Will. "Very close," he said finally. "Percy, Jason, Hazel, and Reyna—"

The blond cut Chiron off, blue eyes glassy from days of crying. "They can take care of that. The Apollo cabin is going to sing a tribute in his honor, and I will be leading it. That's all I want to do."

Nodding at the once joy-filled son of Apollo, Chiron left the table to inform Percy and the others of Will's decision. Once he was out of earshot Kayla and Austin turned to Will with matching looks of confusion written on their faces.

"Um, Will?" Austin tilted his head. "What were you saying about a tribute for Nico?"

"We're going to sing a song."

"Yes, we understand that," Kayla said as she resisted rolling her eyes, "but what song?"

Will's lip twitched in a miniscule but still sadly heart wrenching smile.

"You'll see."

* * *

After saying a few words about Nico di Angelo, those who knew him telling tales of his bravery (leaving out the event in Croatia), Jason nodded towards where Will and his siblings were set up by the edge of the campfire where a pole was holding up a shroud of Hades. At his cue Austin began playing a soft melody on the piano Frank had brought outside from the Big House. Kayla stood beside Will, both of them holding microphones, and gave him a firm squeeze of the shoulder before he sang no louder than a whisper.

" _Say something I'm giving up on you."_ Immediately recognizing the lyrics, Hazel's eyes began tearing up. After a few seconds she buried her face in Frank's chest. " _I'll be the one if you want me to._   _Anywhere I would've followed you._ " As the song slowly progressed Will brought more and more tears from the crowd. With the amount of emotion in his voice it wasn't hard.  _"Say something I'm giving up on you."_

" _And I'm,"_  at this point Kayla joined her brother, their voices coming together in a wonderful tragic harmony,  _"feeling so small. It was over my head. I know nothing at all."_ Another child of Apollo could be heard playing the violin, adding another layer to the music.  _"And I,"_ Will's words wavered slightly as he stared at the now burning shroud courtesy of Leo, _"will stumble and fall. I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl."_

" _Say something I'm giving up on you. I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you,"_  or in Will's case stop Nico from fading.  _"Anywhere I would've followed you."_  The siblings' voices rose as they sang with their souls, Will suddenly wishing there was some easy way to get to the Underworld in attempts to find Nico. Blue eyes suddenly began tearing up at the thought. Was he really accepting that the son of Hades was dead?  _"Say something I'm giving up on you."_

Will glanced at the pile of ashes that used to be Nico's shroud. The sight of it made his heart clench dangerously, and finally he could no longer hold his composer.

" _And I,"_  the boy's voice shook as more tears built up in his eyes,  _"will swallow my pride."_  His voice cracked upon the next line.  _"You're the one that I love,_ " the tears rushed down his cheeks now, and his words he attempted to sing were nothing more than broken whispers, " _and I'm saying goodbye…"_

Just as the music built for the next verse, the son of Apollo dropped the microphone and hurried off the stage. He ignored the looks from those he passed as he practically ran to the now empty Hades Cabin (since Hazel had been staying with Annabeth and Piper as to not be alone during her grieving).

When he got there, he allowed himself to cry freely. Hiccups escaped him as he ran a hand along the side of Nico's bed, untouched since the morning before he faded. It was all Will could do but kneel on the floor next to it and bury his head in his arms.

"Why did you have to leave me alone, _idiota_?" He asked the room feebly. Of course no one was there to answer though, and after a few seconds Will started to fill the silence with another song that had been playing through his mind for the past few days.

" _I'll always remember you,"_  he started softly.  _"Carry your dreams until they come true. Each breath that I take, each moment away,"_ his eyes drifted closed. _"I'll always remember you."_

He got to his feet, taking his time walking around the room and recalling what had happened there in the past few weeks.  _"Everywhere I walk I see your shadow and when I close my eyes I see your face."_ His eyes drifted over the shelf were two decks of Mythomagic cards laid ever since Will had taken Nico on a few days after getting out of the infirmary.  _"Every song I sing I hear your melody, because not a moment that goes by when you're not on my mind."_

" _You will always be my hero."_  With a frown he picked up Nico's sword from the side of the room, making sure not to touch the blade.  _"Never scared and braver than us all. Guiding light for me to follow,"_  he placed the weapon delicately on the desk beside Nico's bed before sitting down atop the unmade sheets,  _"always showing me the way right beside me every day."_

He took a deep breath to calm himself, but a wave of sadness hit him when he reached to take the hand of the one who owned the bed.  _"I'll always remember you. Carry your dreams until they come true. Each breath that I take,"_ his lips quivered as his singing died down into garbled whispers, _"each moment away, I'll always remember you."_

"That's very flattering, sunshine. I don't think I could ever forget you either."

Time seemed to stop, which wasn't very well possible unless Kronos suddenly reformed again and crawled out of Tartarus. No; the sound of Nico's voice merely caused Will's heart to skip a few beats as he raised his head out of his hands to see a fully whole son of Hades standing before him.

While Will gaped, Nico smiled shyly. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." Of course this was meant to break the tension, as Nico's brown eyes were gazing warmly at the boy on his bed.

"You faded," the blond finally managed to choke out.

Twisting the skull ring on his finger, Nico glanced away. "About that… I might have challenged Thanatos to a duel. Since my method of dying was so unique I had the chance to direct my soul to Thanatos' keep. I simply was able to manifest as a ghost there instead of in the line of souls to be judged or in front of my father, which caused Thanatos to appear, and I challenged him to a fight for my soul in return of the spirits of the shadows that caused me to fade in the first place."

"You beat the god of Death?"

"Don't act so surprised, Solace. Demigods surpass gods and goddesses all the time. Percy of all people beat Ares after only a week or two of learning he was a demigod. I'll admit it was the toughest fight of my life, even rivaling the encounter with Eros, but I did it." He closed his eyes for a few seconds. "I didn't want to leave you alone. I know that feeling, and I hate it, so I had to win."

Will seemed as if he were about to start crying again, this time from happiness, when a laugh suddenly escaped him.

"You're not singing, Death Boy."

"Temporarily dying seems to have broken your father's curse, fortunately. Who knew good things could come from dying?"

"Leo, obviously."

They both laughed at that, but within a few moments Nico had closed the gap between them. The two demigods ended up curled against each other on the bed with their arms wrapped tightly around each other as if something would come rip them apart any second. They lied like that for several minutes, just listening to each other's heart beat and breathing, until there was a hesitant knock at the door of the cabin.

"Will?" It was Hazel's voice.

The blond met Nico's eyes with a smile.

"She's going to kill you a second time after scaring her like that."

"Don't remind me," Nico said before getting up and opening the door.

It was safe to say that the punch Hazel landed on Nico after dying rivaled the one Leo received from Piper.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> Say Something by A Great Big World (although the version ft. Christina Aguilera is beautiful/the one I'm imagining).  
> I'll Always Remember You by Kristen Price


	12. Chapter 12

Several days later, after Will confirmed Nico was indeed at one-hundred percent health, the demigods across camp readied themselves for the final campfire of the summer. Gifts were being given, campers were spending as much time with their friends or half-siblings as they could, and couples that would be separated walked around despairingly.

Nico and Will weren't affected, thank the gods. They were both year-rounders. Of course Nico would visit the Roman camp as well as leave every now and then to do work for his father, but that was beside the point. Percy and Annabeth would be in New York, Jason and Piper would be enrolling in the same school, and Leo and Calypso were staying in camp. Will's best friends Cecil and Lou Ellen wouldn't be back until winter break, as they both vowed to visit Will and their half-siblings for a weekend during their break from school, but until then Nico would be sure to keep Will company.

That being said, the son of Hades was nervous about the campfire. Apollo knew his curse had been lifted. After much persuading from Will the god refrained from bothering Nico too much on the agreement Nico would sing one last song.

"Such talent shouldn't go to waste," Apollo had said with his telltale grin.

Nico had made a show of being annoyed, but after thinking long and hard about what his last song would be he was actually looking forward to the campfire. Leo had joking played part of a song poking fun at Nico's music curse a while back, and on a whim he gave the full song a listen to. What he found was that it fit him quite well. It was too symbolic not to sing.

"Are you ready, Death Boy?"

Returning to the present, Nico smiled at his favorite son of Apollo before going up to stand by his siblings on the stage. Kayla handed him the microphone with an encouraging nod while Austin motioned for him to begin when ready.

He took a deep breath. The crowd was silent, excited for more entertainment so the night wouldn't have to end. Will was staring at him in the midst of campers, a smile directed just for him, and Nico motioned Austin to start the music.

" _I wanna to start by letting you know this; because of you my life has a purpose."_ He started with a gentle singing voice.  _"You helped me be who I am today, I see myself in every word you say. Sometimes it feels like nobody gets me, trapped in a world where everyone hates me." Not anymore,_ he reminded himself.  _" There's so much that I'm going through; I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."_

Nico kept his eyes trained over the audience's heads. If he looked at Will he might not be able to look away.

" _I was broken,"_ he sang louder, _"I was choking, I was lost. This song saved my life. I was bleeding, stopped believing, could have died. This song saved my life. I was down, I was drowning, but it came on just in time. This song saved my life."_

From in the crowd, Will heard Percy whispering a question to Annabeth.

"He's not talking about a song, is he, Wise Girl?" The son of Poseidon questioned.

The daughter of Athena must have nodded her head, because a quiet "Yes!" was whispered under her boyfriend's breath.

Will got the feeling Nico wasn't singing about a song either, and it warmed his heart.

" _Sometimes I feel like you've known me forever,"_  Nico continued. _"You always know how to make me feel better."_ That was certainly true. _"Because of you my dad and me are so much closer than we used to be. You're my escape when I'm stuck in a small town,"_ or camp, _"I turn you up whenever I feel down. You let me know like no one else,"_ his voice waivered with emotion then, " _that it's okay to be myself."_

" _I was broken, I was choking, I was lost. This song saved my life."_ Nico hoped Will understood how true this was. He'd been damaged after Tartarus and the war, he still was, but the son of Apollo was helping him heal like no other. _"I was bleeding, stopped believing, could have died."_ How could either of them forget their argument about him using his shadow travel to kill Octavian on the hill? Albeit the fading on the bridge was a closer near-Thanatos experience, but still. " _This song saved my life. I was down, I was drowning, but it came on just in time. This song saved my life."_

The music built before Nico's voice rose in a crescendo.  _"You'll never know what it means to me, that I'm not alone,"_ only then did the son of Hades meet Will's eyes, _"and I'll never have to be."_  He sang with so much graditude Will could feel himself tearing up.

" _I was broken,"_ he resumed, but this time with the children of Apollo joining him in harmony. _"I was choking, I was lost. This song saved my life. I was bleeding, stopped believing, could have died. This song saved my life. I was down, I was drowning, but it came on just in time. This song saved my life."_

" _My life, my life,"_ Nico sang before Kayla and Austin layered their voices beneath him.

" _This song saved my life."_

" _My life, my life…"_

" _This song saved my life."_

" _My life, my life…"_

" _This song saved my life."_

" _My life, my life…"_ Nico finished quietly,  _"this song saved my life."_

Clapping resonated throughout the amphitheatre faster and louder than any performance Nico had witnessed since he'd been at camp. Okay, maybe Percy and Annabeth's rendition of "Two is Better than One" was better, but it was still an impressive reaction.

Before he could fully bask in the attention though, Nico was nearly knocked over by the sniffling head counselor of the Apollo Cabin.

"Th-that was so beautiful!" The blond said while crushing the younger demigod to his chest. "I could kiss you right now!"

Nico blushed madly, quickly shadow traveling the two of them into his cabin before those around them could react to Will's exclamation. Of course when they appeared in the Hades Cabin Will fully realized what he'd said and was just as pink as Nico.

"I mean," he tried to recover, "I could kiss you on the cheek. Like a completely normal congratulatory kiss between friends."

"Will."

"Yeah?"

"I have a crush on you, so if you are going to kiss me please don't tease me by doing it on the cheek."

"You have a crush on me? I've had a crush on you since the Second Titan War! When did you start—" Suddenly Will took in what Nico had just said, blue eyes widening before a smile so bright enveloped his face that he actually appeared to be glowing. "Oh."

Rolling his eyes, Nico stepped forward and met Will halfway. When they finally pulled apart from their first kiss several seconds later, the son of Hades grinned cheekily at the older demigod.

"Yeah, that was definitely better than what you were suggesting. Friendly kiss on the cheek my ass."

"Well you are Italian. It's pretty common to kiss friends and family on the cheek as a sign of affection."

"Stop talking and congratulate me on my amazing performance again, sunshine."

The son of Apollo raised an eyebrow but smirked at the request. "You got it, Death Boy."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order of appearance:  
> This Song Saved My Life by Simple Plan  
> *(mentioned) Two is Better than One by Boys Like Girls ft. Taylor Swift  
> Others that did not fit in the fanfic but are good Solangelo songs (in my opinion):  
> X.U. ( Seraph of the End opening) sung by AmaLee  
> Smother Me by The Used  
> Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park  
> Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus  
> Best of Me by The Letter Black  
> First Time by Lifehouse  
> 1, 2, 3, 4 by Plain White Ts  
> Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift  
> Dearly Beloved (Kingdom Hearts) sung by AmaLee  
> Where the Lonely Ones Roam Digital Daggers

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this feel free to leave a kudos or comment, and thanks those who [support](https://ko-fi.com/U6U08JKG) me!


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